


Glaciers

by orcamermaid



Category: Rise of the Guardians (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Coma, Drama, F/M, Fluff, Hospitalization, Hospitals, Mental Health Issues
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-18
Updated: 2013-10-18
Packaged: 2017-12-29 18:41:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 6,732
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1008739
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orcamermaid/pseuds/orcamermaid
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A school in a small town, a girl with a strange collection, and a boy with a mess of a life. He thinks he's bad news, but it takes two to tango, and he's not the only one with a secret... (Originally posted on ff.net. Incomplete.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> There are a lot of things in this story that are out of my realm of experience. I've tried my best to do my research and be respectful, but if you spot any inaccuracies, please do let me know!

It was a science class. Tooth had always had a knack for science, but to her father’s great disappointment she’d never found it very interesting. She’d taken a seat near the back of the room, as was her habit with this teacher, and had spent the last half-hour mindlessly doodling in her notebook. The lecture was on the particulars of evolution, and thus rather more complicated than what she was likely to need for a passing grade. Out of a vague sense of obligation she’d jotted down the occasional key phrase – “survival of the fittest” was helpfully circled next to a drawing of a hedgehog with a bow tie – but on the whole she had not been paying attention. The teacher, Miss Scott, was a pretty woman in her mid-thirties with wavy red hair and a pale, freckled face. Tooth liked her, she did, but her lessons were impossible to sit through. Most of the class seemed to share her opinion, leaving only the over-achievers up front to diligently nod at every sentence out of the teacher’s mouth. 

There was a light tap on Tooth’s shoulder, and she half-turned in her seat. Situated directly behind her was Jack Frost, who had apparently not even bothered to get his books out. She had not spoken to him since he transferred to the school some three weeks ago, and she was surprised to see him making contact now. If she kept to herself, he was a total hermit. He always sat in the back row, always ate lunch alone, and she could not recall ever seeing him speak to anybody but the teachers. His deep blue hoodie was pulled up over his tousled white hair, and he gave her the closest thing to a smile she’d ever seen from him. He slipped a small, folded-over note into her palm and sat back. She turned back toward the front of the classroom, worried the teacher would see them, before opening the note. It had been folded several times into a neat little square. Scribbled on the note in ballpoint pen was “Lovely weather today”. 

Tooth stared at the piece of paper for several seconds in utter confusion. However hard she tried she could not think of a reason for Jack, mysterious recluse extraordinaire, to pass her a note in the middle of class for mundane small talk. She was just about to turn back to him for an explanation when she heard the first gasp. Leslie Higgs, over by the window, had sprung from her seat to press her nose to the glass; several of the students around her soon joined her, cooing and gawking. The rest of the class flocked to the large windows, and it was not long before even Miss Scott was staring mutely past the panes of glass. Tooth had remained in her seat, and she craned her neck to see what the fuss was about. She and Jack were the only ones not enthralled by the display, and as she caught sight of a clear spot she realized why.

Tumbling serenely downwards outside the window were flakes of pristine snow. Slowly she rose from her chair and approached her laughing classmates. It was snowing. In September. Going on a week now they’d not had so much as a raincloud, and it was _snowing_. She glanced back at Jack; he was balancing on the back legs of his chair, a small smile playing across his face. He caught her gaze and held it for a moment. She barely stifled a giggle, and he grinned at her. He was behind this. She wasn’t sure how he’d done it, or why he’d told her, but this was his doing. As subtly as she could she motioned for him to come over. However innocent this was, he’d be in trouble if anybody suspected him. He seemed to understand, since he crept quietly up to join her toward the back of the enthralled crowd.

Due to certain Jack-induced freak weather phenomena, class was dismissed early by a flummoxed Miss Scott. Tooth accompanied Jack into the hallway with her messenger bag slung over her shoulder. They had lingered behind in companionable silence, so that when they finally left the classroom, the halls were reasonably empty. She dragged him into a corner and leant against the wall, arms crossed and a smile on her face.  
“Alright, first things first,” she commanded. “How did you do that?” He smiled and pulled his hood down.  
“Oh, you know,” he replied airily. “You can do some pretty cool things with water and a bit of sodium polyacrylate. Well, that and a bit of knowledge of the inner workings of the vent system, anyway.” He paused to give her a once-over. “Sorry, what was your name?” She supposed she should be hurt that he’d forgotten, but she smiled and extended a hand for him to shake.  
“Lestari Rashid,” she said. “But you can call me Tooth. Everyone does.” This seemed to pique his curiosity, as his eyebrows raised noticeably.  
“Tooth? Some nickname. Why do you…?” She stopped him with a dismissive hand gesture, hoping he wouldn’t notice the flush on her cheeks.  
“It’s a long story,” she said. “Wouldn’t want to bore you. It’s not interesting, really, I promise.” She cleared her throat and smoothed a hand over the rainbow fabric of her hijab. “Besides, out of the two of us, _I’m_ not the mysterious one.” This shut him up, and he shrugged.  
“Can’t really argue with that,” he conceded. “But hey, don’t beat yourself up, weather magic isn’t for everyone.” He winked at her; she rolled her eyes, although she could not completely hold back a laugh.  
“Alright, alright,” she drawled. “Let’s go get some lunch, shall we?”


	2. Chapter 2

The cafeteria was busy as usual, the tables a dizzying maze of noise. Tooth slipped calmly into the back of the queue, with Jack behind her. By the looks of it they were serving spaghetti Bolognese (or whatever passed for it in school, at any rate). The throng of taller students in front of Tooth moved sluggishly forward, and she grabbed a tray. Along the way she plucked an apple, a carton of milk, and a small plastic container of fruit salad onto it. Glancing back, she wrinkled her nose at the can of soda and bar of chocolate on Jack’s tray, but she kept quiet. She let the dinner lady spoon spaghetti onto a plate for her, held out her tray to receive it, and continued down the line to the register, where she paid. Once Jack was finished as well, she led the way toward their seats.

Their target was a small, round table by the far wall, currently occupied by a single boy. Tooth pushed her way through the crowd – skin and bones she was, but it made for very sharp elbows – and set her tray on the table. The boy pushed her chair out with his leg, and she took a seat with a grin.  
“Hey, Bunny,” she greeted him cheerfully as Jack sat down.   
“Hi,” he said. He eyed the newcomer warily from beneath his grayish brown curls. “Who’s this?”  
“Jack Frost,” replied Jack. Tooth did not fail to notice that he was more guarded now than he’d been in the hallway. “I’m new.”  
“Ah, well, welcome then.” Bunny smiled at him. “I’m Barney. Barney Mund. If you’re hanging around Tooth I guess you might as well call me Bunny. She thinks it’s hilarious.” Tooth stuck her tongue out at him.  
“Not my fault your accent makes it sound all weird,” she said airily. “It’s just the price you have to pay for being a stupid Aussie.”  
“Oi!” He gave her a light shove, and she laughed. Jack looked somewhat skeptical as she dug into her pasta and Bunny took a swig of his carrot juice. He poked unenthusiastically at his food; his shoulders were hunched, his eyes distant.  
“Do you play any sports, Jack?” she attempted. “Bunny holds the school record for long jump, isn’t that right?” She shot her friend a pointed look. If she was to tear down Jack’s walls she would need his cooperation.  
“Honestly, Tooth, what does he care about that?” muttered Bunny. “It’s just a hobby.” Jack’s interest seemed to have been piqued, however.  
“Not bad,” he said. There was new light in his eyes. “I go ice-skating sometimes, I guess, if that counts. I haven’t got any _records_ , though.”  
“Don’t worry, mate.” Bunny grinned, buckteeth showing. “Most people don’t.”  
“Oh, there he goes,” sighed Tooth. Bunny smiled innocently at her and took a bite of food.  
“You’re the one who brought it up,” he pointed out. “Any and all boasting is _your_ fault.”  
“Shut up,” she giggled. She ripped open her milk and took a sip. Jack had relaxed now, and was tearing happily into his chocolate. Bunny cocked an eyebrow at Tooth.  
“She let you get sweets? Oh, she must _love_ you.” Tooth’s eyes widened and she gave him a shove with her shoulder. Jack looked from the candy in his hand to Tooth’s reddening face.  
“Why? What’s wrong with chocolate?”  
“It’s bad for your teeth,” Bunny whispered theatrically. “Big no-no. She’d probably ban it entirely if she could.” Jack’s eyes widened somewhat in comprehension.  
“Is _that_ why they call you Tooth?” he asked; she glared at Bunny.  
“Well, in part,” she admitted. “I don’t _hate_ candy, I’m not a… a fascist!” She ran her thumb thoughtfully over the apple on her tray. “I just don’t have it for lunch, that’s all. But it’s none of my business if _you_ do, of course!” Bunny failed to hold back a snort of laughter; she narrowed her eyes at him.  
“Oh, come _on_ ,” he said. “Last time I bought a Coke, you threw it in the bin as soon as you saw it!” She crossed her arms with a huff.  
“That’s different,” she maintained. “I’ve known you for ages. I was well within my rights!” She downed a large mouthful of milk. Jack smiled, shrugged and took another bite of chocolate.

The rest of the day passed uneventfully. Bunny, who was a year above the two of them, left them once lunch break was over. Their afternoon classes were math and English; Tooth and Jack made sure to sit next to each other for both, and as their teachers went on about prime numbers and the significance of some ancient author they exchanged whispers and secret smiles. When the bell rung out at three o’ clock, they were both in a considerably better mood than a few hours ago. Once they’d stuffed their books back into their lockers and followed the crowd out onto the schoolyard, they met up by the bicycle racks. Tooth’s cerise bike was chained to the rack with a rubber-coated padlock, and she knelt down to unlock it. Jack loitered idly.  
“Haven’t got one, huh?” she asked him, trying for small talk. He shook his head.  
“I take the bus,” he murmured, barely loud enough to be heard over the buzz. “It’s not close enough for biking.” Tooth tugged the lock free of the wheel and dropped it into her bag. As she pulled her bike out and leant it against her hip she smiled at him.  
“Come on, it’s such a nice day! Do you really want to spend it on the bus?” She narrowed her eyes conspiratorially, grin still playing on her lips. “My house is less than a mile. You could come over, if you want.” Jack looked surprised, but after a moment’s pause he nodded.  
“Sure,” he said. “I mean, I might as well.”   
“Great!” she replied, more excited than she probably ought to be. “I just need to pick up my sister from daycare. Won’t take a second.” She nodded at the child seat at the back of her bike. The daycare was located perfectly between school and their villa, and she was nearly always tasked with bringing Cinta home with her. Her younger sister was five years old, and the spitting image of Tooth. Jack agreed to take the small detour, and the two of them left the schoolyard side by side.

The small, light blue stone building of the local daycare was surrounded by a small, fenced-in garden, complete with a few apple trees that were beginning to bear fruit. A few of the children were playing on the swings and in the trimmed grass as Tooth nudged the gate open and led her bike onto the gravel pathway. She smiled at the personnel she passed – a middle-aged woman named Lily and a twenty-something man with tattoos whom she could not identify – and leaned her bike against the wall before stepping onto the porch and pulling the door open. She let Jack enter first, and then closed the door behind them. A young woman with braided blond hair was signing off children in a folder as their parents came and went; the hallway was fairly chaotic. Tooth approached the woman, whose name was Maria, and grinned at her.  
“Lestari!” Maria gave her a brief smile when she spotted her. “Cinta’s building a fort, I think. Do you want me to get her?”  
“No, no, you look busy enough,” Tooth said with a giggle. “I’ll get her.” She pulled her shoes off and set them neatly in a corner. Jack looked questioningly at her, and she hummed thoughtfully. “Jack, you can wait here if you want. I’ll be quick, I promise.” He nodded, and she padded over into the other room. She found her sister, like Maria had said, piling pillows on top of each other into something vaguely resembling a wall. She had the help of several loud boys and a chubby girl with wild black hair. When Cinta spotted her she made a happy noise and abandoned the project in favor of embracing her sister’s legs.  
“Hey, Cinta,” cooed Tooth. “Ready to go home?” Cinta nodded, quiet as ever, and Tooth took her hand and led her into the hallway. She exchanged a few words with Maria as Cinta tugged her boots on, but it was not long before they were on their way. She stepped into her own shoes and took Cinta over to where Jack was leaning against the wall. She crouched down to her sister’s level and leaned in close to her.  
“Cinta, this is Jack,” she told her. “He’s my friend from school. He’s going to come home with us today, okay?” Cinta blinked shyly up at the unfamiliar boy, and Jack smiled.  
“Hello, Cinta,” he said softly. “Wanna come and help me keep an eye on your sister?” Cinta giggled despite herself, and Tooth felt a dull warmth settling in her chest. She smiled at Jack, took Cinta’s bag from its hook and handed it to her, and led the way outside. Jack chatted happily to Cinta the entire way home.


	3. Chapter 3

The Rashid family’s home was a two-story villa with light yellow walls and a neatly kept garden. There was an old oak in the backyard; its branches arched over the pale roof of the building. Tooth parked her bike on the wide porch and waited for Jack, who was a few paces behind with Cinta in tow. The two of them were getting on like a house on fire; she hadn’t seen her sister this open with a stranger in a long time. Cinta was sweet, but very shy, especially around boys. Tooth fished her key out of the pocket of her jeans and unlocked the front door, letting Jack and Cinta in before stepping inside and closing the door.  
After helping Cinta off with her bag and sending her up to her room to play, Tooth turned to Jack.  
“You’re really good with kids,” she said, smiling. “Do you have siblings?”  
“Yeah,” said Jack. “A little sister. Sophie.” Tooth made a noise of comprehension.  
“That explains it,” she said. “Cinta’s usually nervous around new people.” She wandered into the living room and turned to face him. “Do you want a snack or something? I need to make some sandwiches for Cinta anyway, so…” She shrugged.  
“A sandwich is fine,” he said, idly examining his surroundings. Except for the odd toy, the house was spotless; a joint effort by her parents, certainly, but Tooth contributed more than she’d like to admit. She enjoyed neat things.

Tooth led the way into the kitchen, connected to the living room by an archway. She opened up the breadbox and took out a loaf of whole-grain bread, while Jack took a seat at the table. She headed over to the fridge, setting the bread on the counter.  
“Do you want yours toasted?” she asked, perusing the contents of their fridge. “Oh, we’ve got cheese, ham, some vegetables… there should be peanut butter somewhere, I think…” She looked over her shoulder at him. “What’ll it be?”  
“Peanut butter, if that’s okay,” said Jack, hands shoved into his pockets. “No need to toast it.”  
“Alrighty,” said Tooth, pulling cheese, butter, orange juice and ham from the fridge in a dangerously leaning pile. She carefully set them down and got on her tiptoes to pluck a jar of peanut butter from an overhead cabinet.

  
As soon as the sandwiches were assembled – one with peanut butter for Jack, one toasted with ham for herself, and two with cheese for Cinta – she poured a glass of orange juice for her little sister and put it on a small tray along with the two sandwiches. She smiled at Jack.  
“I’ll be right down,” she said. “Feel free to get started on your sandwich, and if you want anything else, make yourself at home, okay? There’s milk and juice and… well, I’m sure you’ll find whatever you like just fine.” With a somewhat nervous nod she turned on her heel and headed upstairs to Cinta’s room, which was at the very end of the hallway.

  
The door was open, and she poked her head in. Cinta was sprawled on her belly on the fuzzy turquoise rug, mumbling to herself as she read. Tooth smiled and walked to her side, kneeling down with the tray in her lap.  
“Hey,” she greeted. “Brought you your snack. What are you reading there?”  
“It’s about a princess,” said Cinta. “And there’s an evil witch and she’s really old and mean!” She made a face, probably aiming for grotesque but ending up with adorable. Tooth giggled and ruffled her hair.  
“I’m gonna go talk to Jack for a while, okay?” She set the tray down on the floor. “I’m probably gonna be in my room. I promise I’ll play with you tonight, but for now you’re on your own for a little while. You can watch TV if you want, but not for any longer than an hour, alright?” Sighing, she kissed the top of Cinta’s head and got to her feet. “Have fun.”

  
She found Jack nibbling at his sandwich, having poured himself a glass of water. She grabbed her own sandwiches off the countertop and sat down opposite him, smiling apologetically.  
“Sorry,” she said. “I’m a terrible host. It’s just that both of my parents work pretty late, and I have to make sure she’s alright.” Jack held up a placating hand.  
“You already made me a sandwich,” he pointed out. “And Cinta’s adorable, so no worries.” He grinned, and she hid her smile of relief by taking a bite of her sandwich.  
“So,” she began, watching him carefully. “Where are you from? I mean, you’ve been in my class for a while now, but I don’t really know anything about you.”  
“I’m… I used to live in this town up North,” he said, avoiding her eyes. ”With my family. I mean, I still live with my family, but. Anyway, I guess we kind of needed a change of scenery, so we moved down here. We’ve got an apartment on the other side of town. It’s just me and my mom and my sister, so we don’t need a very big place.” Tooth hummed.  
“What does your mom do?”  
“Oh, she’s a nurse,” said Jack. “She got a job at the local hospital here when we moved.” Tooth hesitated.  
“At William Memorial?” she said, finishing her sandwich. He nodded.  
“That’s the one. I think she likes it okay. I’ve never been, but from what I hear it’s pretty calm and everything.” Tooth nodded, eyes on the table.  
“Yeah,” she mumbled. “Yeah, I mean, it’s… a nice enough hospital, I guess.” Remembering herself, she smiled at him. “My dad’s a dentist. Mom works in accounting downtown…” She grimaced. “Boring, I know. I don’t get her.”  
“A dentist?” said Jack, laughter in his eyes. “So is he the one who’s been indoctrinating you with these crazy anti-delicious-things ideas?” Tooth rolled her eyes at him.  
“I wouldn’t call it indoctrination,” she said. “But yeah, pretty much. He’s always been strict about it, and I guess it rubbed off on me. We never really have anything sugary in the house unless it’s a special occasion. He used to take me to work with him when I was little…” She smiled nostalgically. “It was my favorite thing in the world. Before I was nine, I knew the name of each and every tool he used, and exactly what it was for.”  
“It’s all coming together,” Jack teased. “The whole ‘Tooth’ thing is really starting to make sense.” Tooth threw her arms out.  
“Yeah, well,” she sighed. “Kids have weird hobbies. Let’s go upstairs. Are you finished?” Jack nodded and stood.

  
Tooth cleared away their plates before leading him to her room, two doors before Cinta’s. The walls were cotton candy pink, and there were colorful posters – mainly shots of exotic birds – plastered all over them. Her bed was huge and plush with lime green covers, and opposite it there was a white desk, a swivel chair, and an ornate mirror. Below the window on the far wall there was a floral print couch, and they sat down in it as Jack surveyed her room.  
“This,” he said after a moment of silence, “is the cleanest room I have ever been in.” He stared at the desk in awe. “Are you _sure_ you’re a teenager?” Tooth laughed.  
“Honestly,” she said. “Just because you have piles of dirty clothes all over your floor and old plates on your desk doesn’t mean I have to! You’re such a boy.” Jack raised his eyebrows.  
“Oh, you are not blaming this on gender,” he protested. “I know plenty of girls with rooms every bit as messy as mine, but I don’t know any with ones as _neat_ as yours!” Tooth shrugged.  
“I’ve always kind of been this way, I guess. I just like it better when it’s clean. Clutter makes it hard to think.” Jack was watching her now, expression unreadable. She looked away awkwardly and folded her hands in her lap.  
“I’ve never met anyone like you,” Jack mumbled; her eyes snapped back to his and she stared at him. He held her gaze unblinkingly.


	4. Chapter 4

Jack left just before dinner, explaining that he needed to be home or his mother would worry. Tooth saw him off and remained leaning against the wall of the hallway for a few minutes, smiling to herself. Pressing her face into her hands, she took a deep breath and returned upstairs. Cinta appeared to be putting on some kind of one-woman performance in her room; off-key singing spilled into the hallway. Tooth slipped into her own room and knelt by the bed, drawing aside the ruffled trim and reaching in beneath it. Her hand found the corner of a cardboard box, and she took hold of it and pulled it out.

Sitting back, Tooth placed the old shoebox in her lap. She stroked its worn lid with her fingers for a moment before lifting it off and placing it on the floor beside her. There was a piece of checkered cloth covering the contents of the box, and she brushed it aside. Beneath it was a neatly organized collection of carefully washed and polished human teeth. She took out a molar, holding it up against the light between finger and thumb. This one was from a chef, she remembered. She’d waited for her father to escort the woman out before she slipped into the room and pocketed the tooth. It had still been covered in slowly drying bloodstains; she always washed them when she got home, but there was never time at the office. She had to get in and out before her dad or one of the nurses caught her. She replaced the molar in the box and ran her fingers across the rows of teeth, smiling.  
“I made a new friend today,” she whispered. “I really, really like him. That’s why I can’t tell him about you, okay? He isn’t like Bunny or Sandy. He wouldn’t understand.” Tooth lifted another layer of cloth to reveal a row of smaller, whiter teeth; her own baby teeth. “I’m going to see Sandy again tomorrow. I don’t think Bunny’s coming this time; it makes him nervous. I told him it’s fine, but I can’t really blame him.” With a sigh she restored the box to its original state and carefully put the lid back, sliding it back under her bed. It was getting late; she needed to get started on dinner before her parents got home.

Tooth was chopping vegetables when she heard the click of the front door. Her mother, Nirmala, came into the room a few moments later, giving her a kiss on the cheek before setting her bag down on the table. She was dressed in her work clothes; suit pants, white shirt, a blazer, and a plain black hijab. She shrugged the blazer off and smiled wearily at Tooth.  
“Hey, Tari,” she said. “How was school?”  
“Good,” said Tooth. “I made a friend.” She glanced back at her mother, smiling. “His name’s Jack. I invited him over after school, but he left before you got here. He’s nice; you’d like him.”  
“You should invite him over for dinner some night,” said Nirmala. “I’m sure your father would love to meet him. Is he a friend or a _friend_?” Tooth blushed furiously.  
“Mom!” she exclaimed. “…I don’t know yet. But I’m not inviting him over so you can ask him that! Forget it!” She dropped the vegetables into the pot, its contents bubbling. “I’m making chicken stew. It’s almost done; could you call dad and ask him when he’s coming home? I don’t want it to get cold.”  
Nirmala fetched four plates from the cupboard and began to set the table. Her eyes glittered as she watched Tooth.  
“Don’t think I didn’t notice that change of subject, young lady,” she said. Tooth scoffed, squared her jaw and stirred the stew as noncommittally as she could manage.

At lunch the following day, Tooth ate with Jack and Bunny once again. Jack was more open than yesterday, and he laughed along with her at Bunny’s jokes.  
“You met Baby Tooth, then?” Bunny asked him. At Jack’s questioning stare he grinned. “Cinta. She’s basically Tooth, only… smaller. Spitting image.” He made a vague gesture with the hand not holding a fork. “Baby Tooth.”  
“Oh. Yeah,” said Jack. “She’s a cutie. I think she likes me!”  
“I think so too,” Tooth agreed. “It was crazy, Bunny, you should have seen! She talked to him for like fifteen minutes; I’ve never seen her do that!” She smiled at Jack. “Bunny’s known her for more than two years, and she’s _still_ shy around him. Guess he doesn’t have your people skills, huh?”  
“Hey!” cried Bunny in outrage. “No need to insult me to make him feel better! What have I ever done to you?” Tooth cocked her eyebrows poignantly.  
“Really?” she drawled. “You wanna go there? Let’s see…” She rested her elbow on the table and held her hand up, counting off on her fingers as she spoke. “There’s the time you ran into me with your bike and sprained my ankle; those brownies you made – my taste buds still haven’t recovered; my favorite shirt that you _ruined_ by spilling coffee on it; that ice cream that you _still owe me for-_ “  
“Alright, alright!” said Bunny, holding up his hands in defeat. “I get the point!” Tooth gave him a satisfied nod and bit down on her piece of fish gratin as Jack chuckled.  
“Hey, Tooth?” he said. “Do you wanna go get an ice cream or something after school?”  
Tooth’s gaze jumped to meet Bunny’s; he looked away. She swallowed, glancing uncomfortably at Jack.  
“Um,” she attempted. “I mean, I’d love to, but I’m… well, I’m busy.” Jack retreated visibly into himself.  
“Oh, okay. No big deal, we’ll do it some other time.” Tooth sighed heavily.  
“I really do want to go,” she said weakly. “I’ve just got this… thing. I’m sorry, I can’t really explain.” She looked back at Bunny. “Are you coming? To the- to the thing?”  
“No,” he said apologetically. “Sorry, Tooth, but I just can’t, not again. I can’t do it.” Tooth nodded, mouth tight.  
“Of course,” she said. “I get that. I’ll see you tomorrow, then.” She grabbed her tray and got up, Jack following in mild confusion.

After saying goodbye to Jack outside school that afternoon, Tooth grabbed her bike and headed downtown. She hated blowing Jack off when they were getting along so well, but she couldn’t bail on this. She clenched her jaw and let the wind hit her face; the cold air helped clear her head. There were trees all along the side of the street, and in the sea of green there was now the occasional sprinkle of red. Fall was coming. 

Tooth parked her bicycle outside the entrance to William Memorial Hospital, chaining it to a streetlight. There was a lump in her throat as she entered. She loathed Tuesdays; loathed going to the hospital. But her conscience wouldn’t let her stay away, and either way she usually had Bunny with her.  
The room was on the third floor, past several winding corridors full of politely smiling nurses and sad-eyed patients. Tooth did her best to smile at them as she walked past, clutching the strap of her bag like a lifeline. It was room 3016; she stopped outside the door, closing her eyes against the sudden nausea. She rested her forehead against the white-lacquered wood for a moment before twisting the handle and sliding the door open, stepping into the sterile room.

There were fresh flowers on the bedside table; from his parents, probably. She took a seat in the chair and bit down on the inside of her cheek as she watched the blond boy in the bed.  
“Hi, Sandy,” she whispered. His sleeping face was eerily serene. “It’s just me today. Bunny has trouble seeing you like this, I think. So do I.” She looked down, smiling to herself. “I like the flowers. Did your mom bring them? I know she likes calendulas. I saw her in the store the other day. She looks so tired, Sandy. I don’t think she’s taking it well. I’m worried about her. I’m worried about you.” She blinked back useless tears. “I miss you. It’s funny; you never talk anyway, so you’d think this wouldn’t be that different, huh? But it is. Nothing’s the same when you’re not here.”  
Taking a deep breath, Tooth got up and approached the bed, taking Sandy’s hand. He was hooked up to an IV; the tube felt odd beneath her palm. His golden hair spilled across the pillow like a halo.  
“There’s this new guy in my class; his name’s Jack. You’d like him, I know you would. Bunny does, so that’s a seal of approval, I guess. We’d have so much fun, the four of us! Can you imagine? I think it’ll be fun, having another person in the gang.” She smiled down at Sandy, brushing her thumb over his wrist. “You need to wake up so you can meet him, okay?”


	5. Chapter 5

Tooth called Bunny the minute she was out of the hospital. Slate-gray clouds had covered the sky, and there was a light drizzle. She led her bike with one hand as she held her phone up to her ear.  
“Hey,” said Bunny when he picked up. “How was he?”  
“No change,” sighed Tooth. “I talked to one of the nurses; she said they still don’t know if he’ll wake up, let alone when. But at least he’s not getting worse, right? He’s not brain dead or anything. There’s still hope.” There was a moment of silence on the other end of the line.  
“Yeah,” said Bunny at last. “I guess. I just hate feeling so powerless, you know? If it was a broken leg or something we could _help_ him, but this is just… I don’t know how to handle it.”  
“I don’t think you’re supposed to,” said Tooth sadly. “I feel the same way, Bunny, but we just need to be patient. He’ll wake up, I know he will. He’s stronger than this. He’d hate to see you beat yourself up over it, anyway! It’s not your fault.” She heard him scoff.  
“Oh, I know that. It’s _Pitch’s_ fault. Still, if I’d been there…”   
“To do what?” snapped Tooth. “Get yourself into trouble as well? There was nothing you could have done! Pitch is an ass, but he didn’t mean for this to happen.”  
“Yeah, so _he_ says,” said Bunny with disdain. Tooth made an exasperated noise.  
“Look, I know he’s basically the human personification of evil, but you can’t seriously think that! I’m not saying he didn’t want to _hurt_ Sandy, but I refuse to believe he wanted to put him in a coma. They’re cousins, for god’s sake! Nobody’s that heartless!” When the remark was met with silence, she sighed. “Well, okay, yeah, he is. But he’s a bully, not a murderer! It doesn’t make it any less his fault, but I’m telling you; he didn’t want this.”

When she reached the daycare, Tooth was still decidedly glum. The drizzle had escalated into a mild but plentiful late summer rain; it soaked through her clothes and settled as a wet chill in her skin. The muddy yard was empty of children, and she hurried into the building to escape the weather. In the hallway she was greeted by a deep, loud laugh, emanating from one of the playrooms; she couldn’t hold back a small smile. North was here. Once she’d kicked off her wet shoes she snuck into the room.

Tooth found North, a big, imposing man with tattoos running down his thick forearms, cross-legged on the floor with several children in his lap. They were braiding his long, white beard, and he seemed to be providing encouraging commentary. Looking up, he grinned at Tooth and gave a wave.  
“Tooth!” he bellowed. “Come in! Little sister is very good at braiding. She should be professional!” His thick Russian accent gave his voice a unique melody. Tooth giggled and approached him, leaning in to examine the braids.  
“They suit you,” she said. “You should wear it like that.” She lowered her voice and looked him in the eye. “I went to see Sandy,” she murmured. “It doesn’t look like he’s waking up any time soon, but at least he’s stable for now.” North gave her a grateful nod before the glee slipped back into his face. He lifted Cinta into his big arms, earning a squeak of delight from her.  
“Time to go,” he told her. “I will see you tomorrow, yes?”  
“Yeah,” said Cinta, grinning up at him. “Bye, North!” She did her best to wrap her arms around his neck in a hug, and he hugged her back before setting her down on the floor in front of Tooth.  
“Bye,” said Tooth, smiling at him. She led Cinta into the hallway and got to work dressing her.

When Tooth pulled her bike into the schoolyard the next morning, Jack was waiting for her. He was leaning on the bicycle racks, hands shoved wrist-deep in the pockets of his jeans. She smiled when she spotted him; he hadn’t seen her yet, and he was listening to something on his headphones, bobbing along to the beat. When she was a couple of paces away he noticed her, and he yanked the headset off his head with a small smile as she parked her bike.  
“Morning, Tooth,” he said.  
“Good morning,” she chirped in return. “How are you today?” They took off toward the entrance together.  
“Not bad,” he said. “I had to watch my sister yesterday; she’s the cutest.” Tooth smiled.  
“I’d like to meet her,” she said. “Maybe I could come over later?” Something passed across Jack’s face, and he shook his head.  
“No, I don’t think so.” He looked at her and smiled. “I mean, our place is a _mess_ ; you can barely get through the front door! You wouldn’t like it, trust me. Maybe another time. When it’s cleaner.” Tooth gave him an odd look, but nodded.  
“Okay then,” she said. “Well… Do you want to come have dinner at my house, then? I think I might’ve accidentally sparked my parents’ curiosity. Sorry. But they’re really cool and everything, I promise!” She laughed. “They’re not, like, overprotective psychos who won’t let me be friends with boys. They’ll like you.” Jack hesitated.  
“I’m…” he began; they were nearing the classroom, and he grew suddenly quiet. “Yeah, alright. That sounds fun.” He gave her arm a little shove and sauntered into the classroom. Tooth remained in place for a moment, staring perplexedly at the wall, before following him inside.

Tooth’s dad, Susila, came home as she was cooking with Jack and her mother. She was frying garlic prawns, Jack was setting the table, and Nirmala was rinsing vegetables. Tooth looked up from the stove to smile at her father.  
“Dad!” she exclaimed. “How was work?” Susila entered the kitchen, kissed Tooth on the cheek and her mother on the mouth, and filled a pitcher with tap water.  
“Business as usual.” He set the pitcher on the table. “I had to do a root canal. Never fun.” Jack caught Tooth’s eye and cleared his throat.  
“Mr. Rashid,” he said. “Nice to meet you.” Susila seemed to suddenly notice Jack’s presence. He grinned at him and shook his hand. He was a very tall and very skinny man, with neat dark hair.  
“You must be Tari’s friend from school! Jack, right?” He looked at the cutlery in Jack’s hands. “She’s put you to work already, eh? You’d better watch out!” He winked at him and ruffled his hair, and Tooth resisted the urge to groan.  
“Dad, please, could you not?” She placed a trivet on the table and set the frying pan on top. “You’ll scare him off.” Jack smiled.  
“No, no, it’s fine. Thank you for having me, sir. Your daughter is very generous.” Tooth busied herself with fetching the rice and vegetables, keeping her head down. Susila gestured to the table.  
“Well, sit, sit! Lestari, you can manage the rest, can’t you? Good. Jack, you can sit here… Nirmala, would you get Cinta?” Nirmala nodded and headed upstairs as Jack sat down and Tooth prepared the last of the meal.  
“Tell me, Jack, how did you meet Tari? In class?” Jack glanced at Tooth, and she nodded.  
“Well, I played a prank on the teacher,” he admitted. “She’s the only one who noticed it was me.” Susila laughed.  
“That’s my Tari! She has a good eye. She used to sit and watch me work for hours.”  
Tooth sat down next to Jack and raised her eyebrows at her dad.  
“Can we not do the ‘embarrassing childhood story’ thing, please?” Normally she would’ve laughed along with him, and if it were Bunny or Sandy she would’ve happily added details, but she’d only known Jack for a few days. To make matters worse, he wasn’t bad-looking.  
“Please, go on!” Jack winked at her. “I bet you were adorable.” Tooth bit her tongue as she felt the heat rising in her cheeks. Nirmala came down the stairs with Cinta in her arms, and Tooth breathed a sigh of relief. For the moment she was saved.


End file.
